Means for opening envelops.



w. THOMSON L A. LHOWSON. MEANS FOR OPENING ENVELOPS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 23. ISHSl 1 1 98,679 Patented Sept. 19, 1916. l

fifi/nasse;

UNITED STATES OFFICE.

wiLLIAM THOMSON, OF OAMBEEWELL, LONDON, AND AETHUETHOMASHOWSON, OF DEPTEOED, LONDON, ENGLAND.

Application led November 23, 1915.

T 0 oZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM THOMSON and ARTHUR THOMAS HowsoN, both subjects of the King of Great Britain, and residing, respectively, at 66A Peckham road, Camberwell, London, England, and 35 'High street, Dep'tford, London, England, have invented new and useful Improvements in Means for Opening Envelops, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to envelops for postal and other purposes and to that class of such envelop designed to have inserted into it a card or the like provided with inclined edges so arranged that the act of withdrawing the said card from the closed envelop opens the latter. Envelop's of this class as heretofore constructed are provided with a slit or opening in the edge through which a portion of the card projects, to allow of the said card being grasped by the iingers for opening 'or cutting the edge of the envelop. This projecting portion is objectionable in that it constitutes an Obstruction which interferes with the sorting of letters, and is liable to be torn olf in transit; furthermore, the formation of a slit in the edge of an envelop is detrimental in that the envelop is more liable to tear than when the edge is intact.

According to our invention we obviate these objections by making the slit in the face of the envelop', the said slit being preferably semi-circular so as to form a kind of Hap and having its extremities terminating at 'some little distance from the envelop edge, and by providing the cutter card with a tab that shall lie substantially flat on the said iiap, and be prevented from projecting beyond the edge of the envelop, by the portions of the cutting edges of the card, adjacent to the tab, engaging those portions of the envelop, between which the slit extends.

Our invention will be readily understood' o indicates an envelop which is of ordi? nary construction except that on the front Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 19, 1916.

Serial N o. 63,078.

face a slit b, which as shown is semi-circular, is formed which terminates at c, c at some distance from the edge of the envelop and whichv forms the flap d.

e indicates the opener or cutter card which 1s designed to approximately lit the said envelop and is provided with a tab f of a width adapted to pass through the slit b and 1s prevented from projecting beyond the edge o-f the envelop, by the upper portions e of the cutting edges e2 of the card engaging those portions c of the envelop betlzween which the slit extends, as shown in The flap d which is formed by the semicircular slit b and which lies behind the tab j' serves as a guard between the cutter card e and the letter or other contents g of the envelop, so that when the said tab is grasped to open the envelop' there will be no liability of grasping such letter or the like.

It will be obvious that when withdrawing the cutter card e the latter will first sever the front of the envelop between the extremities c of the slit o and the envelop edge and then out along the edge of the latter in the usual manner. After the envelop has been opened, the semi-circle opening formed by the cutting out of the iap allows of the contents being easily withdrawn between finger and thumb.

Although our improvements are primarily intended for envelop's for postal purposes it is obvious that such envelops may be used for other purposes. It is also to be understood that our invention can be applied to envelo-ps having a tuck liap such as is used for penny postage.

Claims:

l. The combination with an envelop provided in one of its faces with a slit which is spaced away from the edge of the envelop', of a cutter card located within said envelop and provided with a tab which projects through said slit and is prevented from projecting beyond the edge of the envelop by the portions of the cutting'edgesof the card adjacent to the tab engaging those portions of the envelop between which the slit extends.

2. The combination with an envelop provided in one of its faces with a slit which is spaced away from the edge of the envelop and forms a tongue in the face of the same,

of a cutter card located within said envelop and provided With a tab which projects through said slit and is prevented from projecting beyond the edge of the envelop by the portions of the cutting edges of the card, adjacent to the tab, engaging those portions of the envelop between Which the slit extends, said tongue forming a guard between the tab and the contents of the envelop to prevent the engagement of the tab with the inclosure.

3. The combination with an envelop` provided in one of its faces with a semi-circular slit which is spaced away from the edge of the envelop and forms a tongue in the face of the same, of a cutter card located Within said envelop and provided With a tab which projects through said slit and is prevented from extending beyond the edge of the envelop by the portions of the cutting edges of the card, adjacent to the tab, engaging those portions of the envelop between Which the slit extends, said tongue forming a guard between the tab and the inclosure to prevent the engagement of the tab with the saine.

VTLLIAM THOMSON.

ARTHUR THOMAS HOVVSN.

Witnesses:

JOHN E. BoUsrrELD, A. ALBUTT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, IJ. C. 

